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The 125th anniversary of the International Review of the Red Cross — A faithful record — I. Protection and assistance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 January 2010

Jacques Meurant
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Extract

Officers, soldiers, medical personnel and the inhabitants of areas near and far from the theatre of war — these are the categories of people whom writers should address to explain, in the language best suited to each, the basic humanitarian ideas and sentiments which it is so urgent to impress on their minds and hearts.

(Bulletin international des Sociétés de secours aux militaires blessés. No. 1, October 1869.)

Type
Contributions to History
Information
International Review of the Red Cross (1961 - 1997) , Volume 34 , Issue 303 , December 1994 , pp. 532 - 541
Copyright
Copyright © International Committee of the Red Cross 1994

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References

1 Two historical overviews were published in the outstanding centenary issue of the Review (No. 103, 10 1969)CrossRefGoogle Scholar: Lossier, Jean Georges, “A glimpse into the past — Fifty years of the Bulletin”, pp. 539–545 CrossRefGoogle Scholar, and Segesvary, Victor, “Fifty years of the International Review”, pp. 546–552.Google Scholar

2 Boissier, Pierre, “ICRC delegate: A demanding and fascinating career”, IRRC. No. 174, 09 1975, pp. 435–444 CrossRefGoogle Scholar, and “Standards of medical care and protection in detention camps”, ibid., pp. 445–453.

3 See for example Petitpierre, Max, “A contemporary look at the International Committee of the Red Cross”, IRRC, No. 119, 02 1971, pp. 63–81 CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Freymond, Jacques. “The International Committee of the Red Cross within the international system”, IRRC. No. 134, 05 1972, pp. 245–266 CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Bargatzky, Walter, “Red Cross unity in the world”, IRRC. No. 163, 10 1974, pp. 515–526 CrossRefGoogle Scholar; “Under the presidency of Mr. Alexander Hay, the ICRC from 1976 to 1987. Controlled expansion”, IRRC, No. 261, 11–12 1987, pp. 621–638 CrossRefGoogle Scholar; “Respect for international humanitarian law: ICRC review of five years of activity (1987–1991)”, IRRC, No. 286, 01–02 1992, pp. 74–93.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

4 IRRC, No. 107, 02 1970, pp. 65–77.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

5 Bargatzky, Walter, op. cit., pp. 521–522.Google Scholar

6 Freymond, Jacques, op. cit., p. 258.Google Scholar

7 “Controlled expansion”, op. cit., p. 623.Google Scholar

8 Ibid., p. 625.

9 Starting in the late 1960s the Review gradually reduced its coverage of ICRC operations. The reason for this was twofold: in the first place, the theatres of operations were becoming too numerous to be reported on comprehensively in time to remain of topical interest to the reader; secondly, from 1977 on the Review, previously a monthly, appeared every two months. Other ICRC periodicals have taken over this task, and the Annual Report gives a detailed account of the ICRC's activities.

This change in orientation was also reflected in an increase in series of studies devoted to a given theme and reports on topics of current interest.

10 See in particular the special section on humanitarian assistance in No. 288, May–June 1992, pp. 215–263, and No. 289, July–August 1992, pp. 363–382.

11 Address by Mr. Cornelio Sommaruga, President of the ICRC, to the International Conference for the Protection of War Victims, IRRC, No. 296, 09–10 1993, pp. 365–368 (p. 391).CrossRefGoogle Scholar

12 Sandoz, Yves, “Droit' or ‘devoir d'ingerence’ and the right to assistance: the issues involved”, IRRC, No. 288, 05–06 1992, pp. 215–227 (p. 220).CrossRefGoogle Scholar

13 Ibid., p. 223 (italics added).

14 Maurice, Frédéric and Courten, Jean de, “ICRC activities for refugees and displaced persons”, IRRC, No. 280, 01–02 1991, pp. 9–21 (p. 18).CrossRefGoogle Scholar

15 Maurice, Frédéric, “Humanitarian ambition”, IRRC, No. 289, 07–08 1992, pp. 363–372 (p. 372).CrossRefGoogle Scholar

16 Hay, Alexandre, “The ICRC and international humanitarian issues”, IRRC, No. 238, 01–02 1984, pp. 3–10 (p. 9).CrossRefGoogle Scholar

17 The basic message contained in Mr. Hay's appeal is worth repeating: “To cope with the increasing number, variety and duration of conflicts, with the inhumane treatment arising from the hardening of ideological, or even religious and racial attitudes, and with the declining respect for treaties and law in general, only a concerted action by all the forces of humanitarianism, a mobilization of States and peoples, might raise in any decisive manner the level of respect for humanitarian rules in conflict — short of abolishing war altoaether.” “ICRC appeal for a humanitarian mobilization”, IRRC, No. 244, 01–02 1985, pp. 30–34 (p. 33).CrossRefGoogle Scholar

* Sections to follow:

II – Conquests of the law

III – The Movement: solidarity and unity